Home/Posts Tagged ‘India’
Posts Tagged ‘India’
Pollution, Jun 6th, 2012,
India’s capital region is choking on smog and dust, and overburdened with raw sewage. I recently posted on Asian Correspondent about Delhi’s – and particularly New Delhi’s –– environmental problems, which include a polluted Yamuna river, industrial emissions road dust and smog from vehicles, contributing to serious health problems in the metro region’s 16 million strong population (the federal district is home to around 11 million). Despite the ill health effects of factories in Delhi, the Indian government is worried about a slowing economic growth rate and is pushing manufacturing. It is addressing environmental concerns with the formation of a Green Manufacturing…
Tags: Delhi, gurgaon, India, private
Climate Change, Science & Technology, Videos & Documentaries, Apr 6th, 2012,
In some coastal areas climate change means a rise in sea levels, leading to an increase in water salinity, which in turn means a high salt content in soil. Increasing salinity in fresh water and soil poses problems for agriculture and fish farming. This is a particularly tricky aspect of climate change adaptation, but coastal communities as well as scientists are finding ways to cope. Hardy varieties of rice, wheat and vegetables are one way, as is shifting from freshwater fish farming to raising saltwater species such as crabs. In Sri Lanka, rice farmers, together with the United Nations Development…
Tags: australia, Bangladesh, farming, fish, India, rice, salinity, salty soil, water, wheat
Climate Change, Politics, Dec 12th, 2011,
A last minute deal at COP17, the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa, managed to secure a legally binding global treaty, even amongst those most reluctant to sign on: big polluters the US, China and India. But what does the deal entail and is it really any good? First of all, the treaty is to be signed in 2015 and enforced in 2020 – too little too late according to environmentalists and most climate scientists. But what the hell do they know? The climate ‘road map’ was the brainchild and goal of the European Union, who desperately tried…
Tags: China, climate, COP17, deal, Durban, emissions, environmentalists, India, reactions, scientists, South Africa, US
Conservation, Green living, Nature, Wildlife & Flora, Nov 4th, 2010,
Popularity and consumption are strange things. No one can deny they go hand in hand, since at least to some degree that which is popular is, in fact, consumable. Consumerism… I hate the word. According to Wikipedia it “is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods or services in ever greater amounts.” I agree. Consumption is based on the ever-growing desire to have and to own, at any cost, without reflection on the consequences; and yes to me that’s a bad thing. But what does consumption have…
Tags: black magic, diwali festival, harry potter, India, jk rowling, owl, owl population, white owl, wizard
Health, Politics, Videos & Documentaries, Sep 17th, 2010,
India: a country of nearly 1.2 billion people with over 28% living under the official poverty line, as defined by Indian government in 2004-2005. Some 400 million of these poor depend on government food handouts, which fall short of meeting demands. Yet experts say that there are over a billion tons of grain rotting away in government warehouses, an amount that could feed over 600,000 people for 10 years. And though feeding the poor can be seen as an expense, the consequences of not feeding them are much greater – economically as well as morally. The antipoverty group ActionAid calculates…
Tags: government, grain, hunger, India, Indian, poor, starve
Health, Pollution, Videos & Documentaries, Sep 12th, 2010,
Xintang, China is home to some 15,000 textile factories which produce 200 million pairs of blue jeans every year. The wastewater from these factories turns local rivers an unnatural shade of blue. Residents of Xintang complain of health problems such as birth defects, breathing difficulties and skin rashes, but no serious studies have been conducted to link health maladies to pollutants from the textile industry. Meanwhile, the cotton industry in India is being blamed for health problems linked to the toxic pesticide endosulfan. Pesticides are also believed to cause children’s hair to turn grey. But pesticides and cotton are huge…
Tags: blue, China, cotton, factories, Greenpeace, health problems, India, jeans, Pearl River, pesticides, river, textiles, Xintang
Conservation, Politics, Aug 26th, 2010,
The proposal by mining company Vedanta Resources to establish a bauxite mine on sacred indigenous land in India’s Orissa state has been rejected by the Indian Government. The Dongria Kondh tribe live harmoniously with nature and are ecologically dependent on the Niyamgiri Hills in Orissa, where Vedanta – an Indian and British firm – have been accused of breaches of environmental law. From an article in the Telegraph: There have been serious violations of environment protection acts. There is no emotion, no politics, no prejudice… I have taken the decision in a purely legal approach. –Jairam Ramesh, Indian environment minister…
Tags: bauxite, Dongria, India, Indian, international, Kondh, Michael, mine, Orissa, Palin, survival, Vedanta
Conservation, Pollution, Jul 27th, 2010,
Mining giant Vedanta Resources will be having its annual shareholders meeting on Wednesday in London, where the company is headquartered. But this year, shareholders will be met by a well-publicized protest. Activist groups including Amnesty International have consistently criticized Vedanta for human rights violations and poor environmental practices, particularly in the Indian state of Orissa. From an article in the Observer: […] a damning Amnesty report criticised Vedanta’s record in Orissa, where it runs an alumina refinery at the foot of the Niyamgiri hills, alleging river pollution and damage to crops. The hills are home to around 8,000 Dongria Kondh…
Tags: activist, Amnesty, Avatar, Dongria, India, international, Kondh, london, Na’vi, Niyamgiri, Orissa, protest, shareholders, Vedanta
Politics, Pollution, Videos & Documentaries, Jun 27th, 2010,
Survivors of the horrific chemical disaster that took place over 25 years ago in Bhopal, India are not satisfied with the recent actions of the Indian government regarding their case. The poison gas leak at the Union Carbide pesticide plant is considered the worst industrial disaster in history, resulting in many thousands of deaths as well as serious lingering health conditions that continue to damage those affected to this day. Activists and victims of the tragedy are unsatisfied with a recent Indian court ruling, which sentenced 7 Union Carbide employees to 2 years in prison. Nor are they content with…
Tags: Bhopal, campaigner, disaster, government, India, Indian, justice, Union Carbide, victims
Climate Change, Conservation, Green living, Nature, Science & Technology, Wildlife & Flora, ,
India’s Minister of State for Environmental and Forest, Jairam Ramesh, recently announced plans to launch 2 satellites that will be specifically used to monitor environmental changes in the country. The first satellite, which will be launched in 2012, will monitor daily carbon emissions; while the second satellite will monitor India’s forest cover—also on a daily basis. Both satellites will be launched by the Indian Space Research Organization. According to Ramesh: “Currently, forest cover in the country can be known only after two years and the reduction of this period will help the government in taking steps immediately.” In addition to…
Tags: Climate change, daily carbon emissions, daily forest coverage, environmental changes, global warming, green cover, India, monitoring, protection, satellites, sustainable living
Natural disasters, Wildlife & Flora, Jun 14th, 2010,
A 7.5 earthquake struck near India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands early yesterday morning. Although tsunami warnings were issued, they have been withdrawn since. Power went out in some areas and tremors from the quake were also felt on India, which was more than 600 miles (1,000 km) from the epicenter. The good news is there are no reports of any damages or casualties to speak of, despite the fact that the area is known as an earthquake hotspot, thanks to the converging of the Burmese microplate with the Indian tectonic plate along the Andaman trench. You can check out this…
Tags: 7.5, Andaman Islands, earthquake, India, Nicobar Islands, no casualties, no damages, tremors, tsunami warning
Climate Change, Politics, Jun 7th, 2010,
Over 25 years have past since the worst chemical disaster in history took place at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India. The catastrophe killed 15,000 according to Indian government estimates. Activists and locals put the death toll much higher, not to mention the thousands left disabled by the disaster. Today, a court in Bhopal convicted 8 Indian former Union Carbide employees of ‘death by negligence’. The convicted were sentenced to two years in prison – save one who died before the verdict – and the company fined a paltry 500,000 rupees ($10,000/€9,000) according to a report from Reuters….
Tags: activists, Anderson, Bhopal, convicted, court, disaster, government, Health, India, Indian, Union Carbide, US, verdict, victims
Climate Change, Videos & Documentaries, Jun 5th, 2010,
Northern India has been suffering from record high temperatures in a deadly heatwave that hundreds have perished in. Temperatures reached 48.5C (119F) in Gujarat state several days ago, but the worst may still be to come with forecasts nearing 50C (122F) for the weeks to come. Many people have been hospitalized, bodies of water have dried up and animals have died as due to the intense heat. From an article in the Guardian: The Indian Meterological Department attributes the record heat to lack of atmospheric humidity, hot dry winds blowing across the south-western Thar desert and the effects of last…
Tags: heat, heatwave, high, India, Indian, lives, record, temperature
Climate Change, Videos & Documentaries, Weird Stuff, May 2nd, 2010,
An 83-year old Indian man named Prahlad Jani claims to have not eaten or drunk anything in 70 years. Not bloody likely, I hear you say, but what if it’s true? Not eating or drinking could be a great solution to pesky human disasters like food and water shortages: Starving? Dying of thirst? Just don’t do it! Climate change, climate schmange – if this old guy can manage it, anyone can. The Indian government is curious enough to test Jani’s claims and have locked him in a private hospital under constant surveillance by a team of military doctors who are…
Tags: doctors, food, holy man, India, Indian, Jani, Prahlad, water
Climate Change, Green living, Health, Politics, Apr 24th, 2010,
Far more people in India have access to a mobile phone than to a toilet, according to a United Nations study on how to improve sanitation levels globally. –Al Jazeera English Development and economic growth are huge priorities for India’s government, but according to an Al Jazeera English report, only one third of India’s nearly 1.2 billion inhabitants have access to proper sanitation. This is a serious health hazard for the ‘world’s largest democracy’ – especially for young children – and calls attention to India’s priorities concerning development. But providing adequate toilets for all Indians won’t be cheap. From an…
Tags: Al Jazeera, development, English, India, sanitation, toilet, UN, video
Science & Technology, Videos & Documentaries, Apr 18th, 2010,
REVA Electric Car Company is an Indian carmaker which makes small electric vehicles sold in 24 countries across Europe and Asia. Reva plans on increasing their meager 3,000 total cars sold to a target of 30,000 per year. Less expensive and more compact than the Nissan Leaf plug-in vehicle, Reva’s fully electric NXR has a similar range to the Leaf (150-160 km or 90-100 miles on a single charge) yet a lower top speed of 65 mph or 104 km/h compared to the Leaf’s 90 mph or 145 km/h. Check out this CNN report on the REVA and other electric…
Tags: car, electric, India, Indian, LEAF, REVA, small
Natural disasters, Wildlife & Flora, ,
A tornado that ripped through part of India last week killed at least 131 people and made any attempt of aid a real trying task. Aid and rescue workers had to make their way through uprooted trees and downed power lines blocking roads to provide food and shelter to the hundreds of thousands of victims left homeless by the storm. In West Bengal state alone, at least 250,000 people became homeless, thanks to the cyclone. Srikumar Mukherji, minister for civil defense of West Bengal, stated: “We are facing a crisis in the relief operation. There is a shortage of manpower…
Tags: aid, Cyclone, dead, help, homeless, homes destroyed, India, relief, storm, struggle, tornado, victims, workers
Nature, Wildlife & Flora, Apr 16th, 2010,
Earlier this week, India announced plans to use a new tiger tracking system in order to crack down on “lazy” wildlife guards. Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh, explained that when it comes to patrolling wildlife sanctuary areas, “many field officers are too lazy”. He also adds that “they make up data instead of surveying the field”. Fortunately, the new tracking system should put a stop to that. The new tracking system involves fitting tigers with radio collars. A GPRS (general packet radio service) device, along with the M-STrIPES software, will be used to track the movement of the tigers. Right now,…
Tags: endangered species, India, killing, lazy field officers, poaching, tiger hunting, tracking system
Natural disasters, Wildlife & Flora, Apr 15th, 2010,
A rare event happened in India yesterday. A tornado—with winds in excess of 100 mph (160 kph)—tore through the northeastern part of the country, injuring hundreds and leaving thousands homeless. At least 119 people were killed during the storm. Rescue workers have been busy distributing rice, dried fruit, and water to the cyclone victims. Tarpaulins were also passed out to the people who lost their homes for building temporary shelters. Hundreds of uprooted trees and electricity poles have also been cleared from roads and other areas. Nearly 50,000 mud huts were destroyed in West Bengal, along with thousands more in…
Tags: 119 dead, aid, Cyclone, help, India, no warning, rescue, thousands homeless, tornado
Climate Change, Green living, Politics, Mar 30th, 2010,
India is a country of over one billion inhabitants and already the fourth largest emitter of CO2. While India’s per capita emissions are still low, the South Asian powerhouse has a projected annual economic growth rate of 8-9%. This means a growing middle class and a concomitant demand for the hallmarks of affluent society, such as cars, televisions and other high-energy lifestyle products. Besides the obvious rises in greenhouse gas emissions and industrial pollution that go hand in hand with this kind of development, there is another looming problem: fossil fuels are running out. In order to meet the energy…
Tags: carbon, coal, development, economic, emissions, energy, growth, India, low, Parikh, Solar, strategy
